A Nested Analysis of Factors Affecting Bachelor's Degree Completion

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of selected factors on retention, graduation, and timely bachelor's degree completion at The University of Iowa. An additional purpose was to identify the stage-varying effects of selected variables. Reflecting the sequential nature of bachelor's degree completion, this study focused on three stages of students' progress to graduation: 1) dropout vs. persistence in the first year, 2) graduation vs. failure to graduate among first year persisters, and 3) graduation in four years or less vs. graduation in five years or more. We found that college academic performance, pre-matriculation academic achievement, and college major were the most important variables in explaining success at The University of Iowa. We also found fairly consistent results across the three models. 407

Baccalaureate Attainment and College Persistence of Community College Transfer Students at Four-Year Institutions

“…Numerous studies have found that early academic performance during postsecondary education plays a significant role in explaining final degree completion (e.g., Adelman 2006;Desjardins et al 2003;Reason 2003). In this study, early academic performance in college is represented by student grade point average (GPA) at community colleges, the first postsecondary institutions students attended.…”

Institutional Merit-Based Aid and Student Departure: A Longitudinal Analysis

“…As Chen and DesJardins (2007) note, researchers are incorporating time and time-varying variables in studies of attainment (e.g., Bahr, 2012;Calcagno, Crosta, Bailey, & Jenkins, 2007;Chen & DesJardins, 2007;DesJardins, Ahlburg, & McCall, 1994DesJardins, Kim, & Rzonca, 2003;DesJardins, McCall, Ahlburg, & Moye, 2002;Doyle, 2006;Ishitani, 2003;Ishitani & DesJardins, 2002;Ishitani & Snider, 2004;McLendon, Heller, & Young, 2005;Singer & Willett, 1993;Willett & Singer, 1991, 1995. Event history analysis (EHA) is the longitudinal analysis of individuals' or organizations' experiences of events of interest over time (Allison, 1984).…”

Experiences influencing degree completion articulated by doctoral students in education administration.

“…Numerous previous studies (e.g., Barker, Felstehausen, Couch, & Henry, 1997;Berger & Milem, 1999;Cabrera, Castaneda, Nora, & Hengstler, 1992;Desjardins, Kim, & Rzonca, 2003;Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004;Pascarella & Terenzini, 1979;Sidle & McReynolds, 1999) relied on survey design for data collection and correlation methods for data analysis and compartmentalized variables to weigh their relationship to student persistence.…”

“…Both the semi-structured interviews and the survey were informed by contemporary models of student perSistence (Astin, 1984;Eaton & Bean, 1993;Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991;Spady, 1970;Tinto, 1993) and recent studies that identified factors affecting student perSistence (Berger, 1998;Berger & Milem, 1999;Cabrera, Castaneda, Nora, & Hengstler, 1992;Cusworth, 2001 ;Desjardins, Kim, & Rzonca, 2003;Girves & Wemmerus, 1988;Golde, 1994;Golde, 1996;Golde, 1998;Greenlaw, Anliker & Barker, 1997;Hernandez, 2002;Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004;Pascarella & Terenzini, 1979;Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991;Poock, 2000;Seymour, 1995;Sidle & McReynolds, 1999;Stallone, 2003, Weidman, Twale, & Stein, 2001Woodard, Mallory, & Deluca, 2001). These data presented a detailed portrait of student experiences.…”